BIOGRAPHY

Salvatore Cavallo was born in Vittoria, Sicily, Italy, on 16 May 1909. In Milan, he studied agriculture and eventually earned his degree.

In 1941, during World War II, he was called to serve on the North African front with the rank of Captain in the Engineers. He participated in the siege of Tobruk and the defeat at El Alamein. During the Italian Civil War, he became part of the Resistance and was captured by the Nazis, facing a firing squad. However, an Italian officer intervened and convinced the Germans to postpone the execution, allowing him to go free.

After opening a canning factory in Sicily, he dedicated himself to his true passion: teaching. This mission began in Novara and later continued in Turin, where he learned one of his key secrets to longevity: “Stay young among the young.” He worked as a teacher at technical institutes and as a middle school principal until his retirement in 1974. His wife, Antonia, who passed away in a car accident (likely in the 1990s), had a profound impact on his life. He taught his daughter Grazia and his grandchildren Gabriella and Alessandro the importance of living with memories, not regrets, emphasizing that life should be lived “with willpower and dignity, even in pain.”

His cousin, Concetta, lived to 102. In 1975, after undergoing surgery, a doctor predicted that he had an extraordinary temperament, “the kind of temperament that belongs to someone who will live at least 100 years.” He never smoked and drank only in extreme moderation, preferring to focus on sports, particularly artistic gymnastics. Until he was about 107, he rode the exercise bike every morning. His favorite foods included pasta, vegetables, fruit, fish, very little meat, and minimal coffee.

When he turned 100, he wrote a play to be performed with his grandchildren, relatives, and friends. The play told the story of a centenarian put on trial for “cheating time,” with the sentence being an additional ten years to live on Earth. This turned out to be somewhat prophetic, as he lived for another ten years. At 110, it was reported that he spent his days reading about history and watching political debates on television.

Salvatore Cavallo passed away in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, on 11 July 2019, at the age of 110 years, 56 days.

Salvatore Cavallo passed away in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, on 11 July 2019, at the age of 110 years, 56 days.

RECOGNITION

On 7 December 2018, following the passing of 110-year-old Luigi Tomasi, he became the oldest living man in Italy, at the age of 109 years, 205 days. He held the title until his own passing in July 2019, when he was succeeded by Giovanni Quarisa.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Salvatore Cavallo festeggia i 110 anni: è l’uomo più anziano d’Italia” – Il Mattino, 17 May 2019

* “Torino, è morto Salvatore Cavallo: con i suoi 110 anni era l’uomo più vecchio d’Italia” – Torino Cronaca, 11 July 2019

GALLERY